


Alleviate

by itbeajen



Category: Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Modern AU, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 11:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13189425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: You were looking for a quiet place to do work. He was trying to make his work place quiet.Little did either of you realize that all it would take was a steady routine of coffee and productivity for a special relationship to bloom.





	Alleviate

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate series or any of the characters that are mentioned. I am not making any profit from this fic and I write purely for the love of the characters. The Fate Series is the property of Type Moon.

**i. amazement**

When you first stumbled across the lovely small coffee shop, you were wandering around the buzzing college town in search for a good study place. The libraries were full, your apartment was too loud, and the small coffee shops closer to campus and your apartment were all filled to the brim with people; either studying, working, or chatting as though they had no consideration for those around them.

Yet the small maroon and white coffee shop was literally a hole-in-the-wall, a gem hidden within the loud bustling town, and even amongst the busy streets, its glass front were spotless, splendidly reflecting the sunlight back onto the streets, as though radiating its brilliance to the bypassers walking through their automated motions in their daily routine.

You slowly took a few steps towards it, and your gaze flicked upwards at the sign. _Divine Grounds. A coffee shop?_ You peered through the window, finding yourself already enraptured by the simple yet modernistic decor. The glass wall wasn’t just there for appeal and lighting, but also acted as a source of life as it housed several plants suspended from the ceiling up to about halfway down. Your intense gaze meets paled turquoise orbs, and your eyes widened before taking a step away from the glass window.

The white haired male was watering the plants, and it appeared to be that he was lovingly whispering to them before you had unintentionally caught his attention while you were captivated by the aesthetic of the coffee shop. There’s a small smile on his lips and you can barely make out the words, ‘good morning’. You incline your head with a short bow, a bright smile on your lips as you mouth the words ‘good morning’ back to him, and he gestures to the door before walking over to open it for you.

The fluffy white of his hair bounced slightly with each step, and you couldn’t help but stare at the how handsome the male appeared, donned in a black vest with a long-sleeved white button up. There’s a neatly tied sleek silk maroon tie, and his name tag - read Karna - is clipped neatly onto his vest. He fished out the keys from the silver apron tied around his waist before unlocking the front door for you and gently swinging it outwards.

He gives you a slight nod and smiled, “Welcome to Divine Grounds. A coffee shop where we hope to alleviate stress from your daily routine.”

**ii. bewitchment**

You found yourself visiting the quaint coffee shop almost on a daily basis to do work. With your college schedule finally stabilizing itself, you found it routine to stop by right after class to get work done for your courses up until closing.

The shop was a perfect place to work. The ambience was pleasant and cozy, with the tables and booths all meant for people to either get their work done or find a place to relax after a long day. The dark maroon wall facing the bar area was neatly decorated with the menu items and decorated with chalk-drawn cups of coffees, tea, small adorable animals, and sometimes even motivating greetings to lift someone’s day.

The booths were adorned with soft plush pillows, and each table had their own little charging outlet and was just big enough to share comfortably between two people. You found yourself snuggled up in your favorite corner, one of the coffee shop’s pillows snugly tucked behind your back and the wall, and one comfortably resting on your lap as you continued to scribble away at your notebook.

But despite the peace and quiet and the amazing amount of productivity, what catches your attention and draws you away is not the social media tabs on your laptop or the slight buzz on your phone from missed message, but the same white haired male, co-owner and resident #1 barista in the coffee shop - Karna.

Though his visage rarely shifted away from the expressionless mask on his face, you didn’t mind. After all, he was still so friendly, so polite - there was something strangely endearing about him, and you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. Regardless, you couldn’t help but feel as though the reasons behind your continued patronage wasn’t just the coffee that he personally brewed, but also his bewitching personality.

**iii. complement**

“You’re later than usual, [Name].” The tone of his voice is low, smooth, and rich with emotions that weren’t displayed on his pretty visage. You glanced up from your work as he gently placed the usual Indian filter coffee on your table. Your attention swiftly goes from his face to his hands to the gold rimmed white tea cup filled to the brim with coffee. Your eyes widened and you quickly stuttered, “I-I didn’t order anything yet though.”

He blinked once, and then gives you a rare smile and answered, “Yes, but you always order this, am I correct?”

You opened your mouth to retort before closing it. A small smile grows on your lips and you nodded, “I do. Sometimes I feel like you know me a bit too well, Karna.”

“Is that bad?” he asked. You shook your head while reaching for the frothy cup of coffee. As you took a sip, you risked a glance up at Karna, and was delightfully surprised to see that he was watching as you savored the taste. There was a hint of inquiry in those paled turquoise orbs and as you gently placed the cup back onto its plate, he leans forward just slightly and you smiled, “It’s delicious. You never fail to disappoint!”

His eyes shine with appreciation, and there’s a small, yet smug smile on his lips and he nodded, “I do the best I can.”

With a freshly brewed cup of coffee and the soothing piano accompaniments that were playing in the background, you got to work quickly and efficiently. But as the sun began to set, those anticrepuscular rays slowly began to converge and their shine slowly dimmed as the coffee shop’s light gradually brightened. You finished yet another report and leaned back, stretching out as much as you could in the limited space you had. But just as you finished stretching and made yourself comfortable again, you hear the scratching of the chair against the floor and you glanced up. Karna sat down and slid over a plate of treats and a newly brewed cup of coffee and you raised an eyebrow.

“Sweet potato and cheese pretzel,” he answered and he gently pushed it just a bit closer. You gently closed your laptop and you leaned forward, reaching one and commented, “It doesn’t quite look like a pretzel.”

He frowned and you laughed, “But I’ll try it. New recipe?”

He nodded and he helps you carefully rip a piece off without burning yourself. It was warm, especially since it was just made and as you took a bite into it, you couldn’t control the hum of delight at the taste. The crust was soft, but the inside was filled with mashed sweet potato and cheese and it was the perfect mixture of sweet and savory.

“Karna, this is amazing!” you gushed once you finished chewing. His eyes widened in surprise just slightly before they soften. He looks proud and he gently pushed the cup of coffee towards you and you asked, “What’s this?”

“Another new recipe.”

You gently take the white porcelain cup into your hands. The pale green liquid smelled faintly of a latte, yet also of tea and you glanced up to meet his gaze before taking a small sip. Your eyes widened and you smiled, “This is.. so good.”

His lips tugged up into a smile and you chuckled, “It goes amazing with the sweet potato cheese pretzel. Is this green tea latte, Karna?”

He nodded, and you glanced back down at the drink. You had tried your best not to ruin the latte art he had drawn in with the cream and you softly murmured, “The art is beautiful.”

“...as you.”

You barely catch the tail-end of what he whispered into his hand, but when you ask what it was, he shook his head. He slowly gets out of his seat and soundlessly pushes it back in. He grabs whatever used plates and cups from your table before leaving. But just before he turns away, he hesitates as he glances over his shoulder, and mumbled, “Please don’t overwork yourself, [Name].”

**iv. development**

His gaze never fails to drift to the door around half past noon. He wasn’t sure when he had become so acutely aware of your presence. Perhaps it was the cheerfulness in your voice, or the brightness in your smile. He wasn’t sure when it had started, but he slowly began to look forward to your arrival at the shop, much like one would look forward to the sunrise marking the dawn of a new day.

For once, you were studying at the coffee bar counter, giving both you and him a perfect view of each other. Your usual laptop, notebook, and pencil bag were missing; replaced with a small slim tablet as your fingers flew over an even smaller keyboard. Your brows were furrowed and your teeth nibbled at your bottom lip, playing with it as you tried to finish whatever assignment it was this time.

Every now and then he’d hear an exasperated sigh leave your lips, and your lips would tug downward. Your shoulders deflated, and it was perhaps the most downcast he’s ever seen you. And for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel as though a small light in his life was suddenly missing. He checked the kitchen and the shop; it was relatively empty for once. As he finished wiping down the counter, he made his way over to the hot bar, brewing a simple chrysanthemum tea before making his way over. He gently taps the counter in front of you, and your head jolted upwards quickly.

Your eyes were lifeless, but upon meeting the ever familiar gaze of his, you felt the tension in you dissipate slightly. You lean back in your chair, relaxing yourself for the first time in hours and you softly asked, “Sorry, were you trying to get my attention for a while?”

“No, I just came by, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh,” you quickly waved it away and weakly smiled, “It’s okay. I was just really focused. What’s up, Karna?”

“You appeared stressed out, [Name],” he gently slid the cup over and you soaked in the subtly sweet aroma of the tea before asking, “For me?”

He nodded and warned, “It’s a bit hot, but-”

You take a tentative sip before slowly drinking it. You can feel the tension in you slowly fade as though the mere sip of tea had helped you relax. You sighed contently and leaned back fully in your chair until you were holding the teacup comfortably as it sat on the countertop.

“This really helped,” you whispered your praises. Your eyes were closed as you let yourself dissociate from your work. A small smile works its ways to your lips and you playfully mumbled, “‘May our coffee alleviate stress from your life.’”

Karna recognizes it immediately and you continued, “Maybe you should say your shop in general alleviates stress.”

“I believe it’s our coffee,” Karna retorted, but you softly chuckled, “I believe it’s you as well.”

“Me?” he inquired and tilted his head slightly. You couldn’t help but think the setting sun illuminated his features wonderfully. The rays of sunlight that filtered through the coffee shop’s curtains gently highlighted those gem-like orbs of his and made him look so ethereal. Your expression softened and you whispered, “Yeah. I enjoy your company a lot..”

You paused, and then sat up straight upon realizing what you just admitted. You felt the heat rush to your cheeks and ears and you quickly averted your gaze downwards to your lap. Your hands gripped the teacup a bit tighter and you internally screeched, _What did I just say? What have I done? Good job, me, I just- Oh my god, I really hope I didn’t sound like a fool. What if he thinks I’m-_

“I enjoy your company too, [Name].”

His voice was so soothing, yet there was a slight hint of a smile from just the way your name rolled off his tongue. You slowly lift your head and you were right. There was a soft, gentle smile on his face and he softly murmured, “I’m glad to see that you’re fine again.”

You tilted your head in confusion and he elaborated, “You appeared distressed. It made me upset to see you so frustrated.”

Your eyes widened and you felt your heart fill with warmth and joy. The confusion on your features faded into a smile, and you slowly looked away from him to the teacup before you and you mumbled, “Thank you, Karna.”

“Anytime, [Name],” he responded. His hand gently rests over yours around the tea cup and he softly offered, “Should there ever be a time that something bothers you, let me know. Any worries you have, I will take care of them for you.”

**Author's Note:**

> A small little tribute for Karna’s North American debut in Fate Grand Order. Whether or not I’ll manage to get either of them will depend on my horrendous E rank Luck and if 150 SQs are enough. Please dear RNGesus, spare me your suffering.


End file.
